Anyway, people like that stay in business because many people interested in Buddhism have no cultural background in it, and know little to nothing about it. Not hard to take advantage of people looking for answers when they are a blank slate like that, you can make up any old thing really and anyone unmotivated enough to vet or at least consider the information will lap it up I suspect.

May the eyes of living beings be gladdened by skies made splendid by clouds that lightnings garland, while on earth below, the peacocks dance with joy as showers of rain, falling gently, approach.

Heh i'm old enough to remember Kung fu, at least in reruns on a crappy old balck and white;). Just didn't connect the dots.

Anyway, one thing that bothered me when I was involved with one Zen group was that some people seemed to maybe have a kind of anti-intellectual bent, in the sense that they thought "practice" was so much more important than intellectual understanding that they pretty avoided any intellectual understanding whatsoever. I very much liked my teacher, and he didn't engage in this sort of thing, but I did get this vibe from many of the students.

In that kind of environment, meaningless but cool-sounding slogans and stuff can really find a home. Being unwilling to engage in any "intellectual Buddhism" pretty much means that you won't be able to critically evaluate what's being taught.

"Even if you practice only for an hour a day with faith and inspiration, good qualities will steadily increase. Regular practice makes it easy to transform your mind. From seeing only relative truth, you will eventually reach a profound certainty in the meaning of absolute truth."Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.

Ramon1920 wrote:I've noticed a few Buddhist teachers that have the pomp and mannerisms of a hollywood kung fu master.

That is your impression, not a fact or an objective assessment.

A teacher can use skillful ways that would appear ridiculous to others. Yet, he might probably be doing it so it can be of benefit to people who wouldn't be benefited from Buddhism with a different presentation.

Ramon1920 wrote:I've noticed a few Buddhist teachers that have the pomp and mannerisms of a hollywood kung fu master.

That is your impression, not a fact or an objective assessment.

On the contrary, people are often just what they appear to be. The fact that the obvious is so often overlooked is disturbing.

A teacher can use skillful ways that would appear ridiculous to others. Yet, he might probably be doing it so it can be of benefit to people who wouldn't be benefited from Buddhism with a different presentation.

So it's all in the presentation, aye? Since when does the truth require smoke and mirrors?

A teacher can use skillful ways that would appear ridiculous to others. Yet, he might probably be doing it so it can be of benefit to people who wouldn't be benefited from Buddhism with a different presentation.

So it's all in the presentation, aye? Since when does the truth require smoke and mirrors?

A teacher can use skillful ways that would appear ridiculous to others. Yet, he might probably be doing it so it can be of benefit to people who wouldn't be benefited from Buddhism with a different presentation.

So it's all in the presentation, aye? Since when does the truth require smoke and mirrors?

So there's only one way to present truth??

No. Even Hollywood has presented truth... on occasion.

But the truth is that the concept of "expedient means" has been overused and abused, by followers. It's high time we started calling a spade a spade.

"All memories and thoughts are the union of emptiness and knowing, the Mind.Without attachment, self-liberating, like a snake in a knot.Through the qualities of meditating in that way,Mental obscurations are purified and the dharmakaya is attained."